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Introduction
I attended
the convention held over the last weekend in April as an alternate delegate from VK5.
I have written this as an overview that represents my opinion on what is important. It is not intended to be a set of minutes or even a comprehensive report. That can be obtained from the official versions. It is my own idiosyncratic and sometimes cynical version of a meeting that confirmed my
view that the WIA does not work.
On the surface the business of accounts and reports seemed to go well. However, there was no debate leading to action. At a time when many amateurs and others are pessimistic about the future of our hobby there was no debate leading to a strategy for our future. There was no debate about what we want Amateur Radio to look like in 5
years or 10 years. As a National organisation the WIA has no clear idea on where it, and our hobby are heading.
I was very concerned in talking to delegates to find how many were bringing not just their knowledge and skill to the table but also a set of detailed instructions from their State Divisions. This makes a mockery of debate at the National level.
That
our pressure has had some effect on this meeting was shown by the uncomfortable attempts to avoid the word National. These included "National, umhhh I mean Federal" and "small n national". I counted fifteen of these before I got bored with it. Who were they scared to upset? Does it really matter?
I will not comment on each motion or agenda item but on subject areas of interest to those of us who believe there is a need for vision, strategies and tactics for the WIA.
ACA Relationship
At various times during the convention comment was made about the ACA. These included:
· The ACA would like to see Amateur Radio go away. It involves a lot of work for no return.
· The international ACA people have a good relationship with WIA.
· The ACA will soon call tenders for examinations. There would appear to be no advantage to the WIA from their years of saving the
ACA money by running exams for them.
· The ACA is overloaded and understaffed so they want us to replace our regular meetings with correspondence by letter.
There was no debate about this.
Is the relationship a result of personalities rather than policies?
Can the WIA apply more political pressure so as to raise our importance level?
Why was the WIA totally ignored in the 420MHz fiasco?
The relationship with the ACA is the most important for Australian Radio Amateurs. It received NO significant debate or discussion.
International,
IARU. ITU
Grant Willis and David Wardlaw spoke comprehensively of the issues that are developing towards the next WARC in a couple of years time.
They presented a costing showing that over $30,000 will be required within two years to fund representatives to go to the WARC in Venezuela and IARU Region 3 in Taiwan. This despite the fact that one representative, David Wardlaw will be paid for by IARU in which he is a very well respected officer.
Their report made 15 recommendations to council. These were rushed through late on the second day with almost no discussion or debate.
The costs were discussed in relation to whether the subscriptions of members should be increased. The National (sorry, Federal) directors advised that present provisions would be enough for these meetings but then two years after that we will be short of funds for the next round.
It was noticeable that no division, despite the fact that some have very considerable assets, made an offer to donate monies to help with these costs which are in the best interests of ALL radio amateurs world wide.
I confess to cynically remembering the passage in my paper that talks of directors building assets long after Amateur Radio has ceased to exist.
The WIA into the 21st century paper
There was a motion from VK6 that my paper be discussed. The motion was withdrawn in favour of a general "in committee" style discussion. The gossip suggested that the VK3 division had one of their secret legal opinions that such a motion would be
illegal. Probably fattening too!
As there has in the past been great reverence applied to "legal opinions" at this forum I emphasised my experience and qualifications to give the advice that : " The WIA as it is currently structured does not, and cannot, work in the best interests of radio amateurs in the modern world.". My paper should perhaps be called a management opinion!
I spoke to my paper and the subsequent communications from many radio amateurs. I presented the list of five principles which I believe should underpin any changes. (see www.amateurradio.org.au
where all the papers are available).
The subsequent debate latched onto communications as the problem. The council was of the opinion that the WIA is really just not telling us what it does. They had not after all realised that we were all too lazy to go out and
ask for the information we want! My brain popped back to the quote from one of my correspondents who said," Best of luck in your endeavours but until the organisation, like an alcoholic, admits it has a problem, nothing much will happen". He's right!
As I sat and listened to the smoke screens, red herrings, irrelevancies and general eliteist views on our members my mind slowly descended into lethargy. I was reminded of the Dementors in a Harry Potter book I had just read. They are described thus:
"They glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and
happiness out of the air around them (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K.Rowling) "
Not being a Wizard I was unable to see the Dementors, but I felt their presence in Melbourne last weekend!
The result? The discussion ran out of time with no actions planned or taken.
Do nothing and hope it will all go away!
Marketing
A motion was carried that the WIA should research the people who take the exams so as to see if we can better target Amateur Radio to others with a similar background.
A good start. However, it needs to be wider and will certainly cut across "states rights" if it is to be done properly.
This was apparently policy.
National Communications.
The VK4 division offered the services of
Graham Kemp and his very professional Qnews as the basis to prepare broadcasts for national distribution. Their idea seemed to be to prepare a news bulletin in three parts. General Amateur Radio, National WIA, and local amateur/WIA. The last segment to be added in the local area of the broadcast.
Graham has access to professional audio editing equipment as well as working, himself, in radio.
I have no real idea why this motion failed. It was not considered to be policy and there were all sorts of weird and wonderful reactions to it.
I like to keep things simple. Some guy who is good at it offered to help with the problem of communication, the WIA convention turned him down. The same convention said they had a problem with communication. I'm confused!
The debate on this was so wooly that I am sure that each and every delegate will have their own spin to put on it. The minutes will be no help because the proposer ended up confused as well and withdrew the motion.!
It was eventually passed as a motion that the Federal President or nominee would prepare a monthly report to members.
Similar motions to establish an outgoing QSL bureau clearing house in VK2 and a national bookshop in VK2 were also defeated or withdrawn (I can't exactly remember) as they were not "policy".
Summary
I will leave all the technical details like who the officers are, what the financial reports said and so on to the official WIA journals. Although, if they follow past procedures, you will not learn much except the spin. You are not allowed to see all the details,
"they" have decided to keep them confidential.
However, if you really want to see all the federal papers ask your federal councilor. Be prepared, however, to cast an "anti-Dementor" spell before reading them!
I am glad I went, it confirmed my view that the WIA as structured cannot work. I will now enlist support to continue pressuring the organisation to change.
Martin Luther
May 2001
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